Santa's Little Helper
by SelfProclaimedFangirlKate
Summary: COMPLETE! Emma can't believe she let herself get talked into working as one of Santa's elves at the mall. But, it may be worth it when a certain gorgeous woman shows up with her son in Santa's line. A Swanqueen holiday fic told in two parts. Lots of fluff, a smidgen of tropes, and a dash of drama (but no angst in this one). Now with epilogue.
1. Part I

**A/N:** I'm a sucker for holiday trope-y fluff, and this idea came to me a few weeks ago, so to procrastinate grading student final papers, I started writing instead. Originally it was going to be a one shot but it's a little longer than I expected and since I'm not quite finished editing the ending and wanted to get it posted today, I broke it into two sections. Part II will be up tomorrow. Enjoy, and happy holidays!

(Cover icon by spiralofcolors on Twitter).

* * *

 **Friday, December 14, 11:30am.**

Her green eyes narrow as she appraises herself in the dressing room mirror. "Ruby," she says, annoyance present in her tone, "I cannot believe I let you talk me into this."

"Oh please, Em, you look adorable," the other woman says as she walks out into the main area of the abandoned storefront that is serving as their home base for the season. Ruby's long legs disappear underneath a short red skirt trimmed with white faux fur, and her red jacket is cropped just enough to show a small strip of pale skin when she raises her arms above her head.

"Damn, Ruby, you look great, but isn't that a little, um…slutty?"

She shrugs. "I didn't pick it out," she notes. "Besides, it's for the dads who are forced to come to these things."

"It's humiliating," Emma adds, stepping her feet into the shoes they gave her.

Ruby fails to hold back a chuckle as Emma struggles to take a few steps in the wooden clogs. "Do you want the extra money so we can get Coachella passes or not?"

"Yeah, fine," Emma mumbles, as she takes one last look in the mirror, adjusting the red and green striped tights on her legs and combing her fingers through her hair before placing the green hat on her head. "Jesus Christ," she says as she gets a look at her costume in its entirety.

"That's the spirit!" Ruby laughs as she grabs for Emma's hand to lead her out into the mall. "You're the cutest elf ever."

"I never should have let you talk me into this…you owe me," Emma mutters.

 ***.*.***

"Come on Henry," Regina says, ushering him into the line that winds around the center court of the mall. "We need to get out of here in time to drop you off at your dad's and so I can get to Westbrook by 7, and it's…" she pauses to push up the sleeve of her coat, "…it's already 4:30. I cannot be late to dinner with my parents again. I'll never hear the end of it."

"Grandma needs to take a chill pill."

Regina bites back a smile, trying to appear stern, but she concedes. "Yes, she does… Now, did you remember your list?"

"Of course," he smiles up at her as he pulls the small slip of paper from his pocket. "Nintendo Switch Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, new art supplies, a snowboard…" he continues to read from his list, and Regina can't help but laugh when he finishes with a very pointed "and no new clothes."

"That's quite a list, Henry," she comments.

"I know, but I figured it's better to give him a long list in case he can't find some of the items. I want to give him plenty of options to make his job a little easier."

"How very thoughtful of you," she deadpans, checking her watch again to keep an eye on the time. They're getting closer to the front of the line, but she'll still be cutting it close, especially with after-work Christmas traffic. She's had the week from hell at work and the last thing she wants is another Cora Mills lecture about how she can't even manage to get to a standing weekly dinner on time.

While Cora had never been very supportive of Regina's relationship with Robin Locksley, since their divorce two years ago, all Cora can do is find ways to remind Regina of her shortcomings as a single, working mother. In Cora's mind, Regina hasn't been prioritizing herself enough, lamenting the fact that Regina hasn't been on a single date since she and Robin separated nearly three years ago, while Robin had no problem moving on to his new wife and has started building himself a new family. "You're not getting any younger, dear…Robin went for a younger woman…your options are dwindling as we speak," her mother would remind her constantly.

"Mom," Henry says, pulling Regina from her thoughts. "We're next."

 ***.*.***

"Merry Christmas!" Emma calls as she hands the Polaroid to the couple standing next to her as they wait for their young daughter to get her candy cane from one of the other elves. The young girl's beaming smile at Santa had been a welcome change from most of the guests earlier in the afternoon — most had been very young and terrified of the strange man in the red suit. While Emma was great with children one-on-one, she didn't know the first thing about getting a screaming toddler to smile for the camera. The parents hadn't been much help and were often even more frustrating, demanding that Emma give them their money back if their child was crying in the picture. In the first four hours of her shift alone, parents had demanded to speak to her manager twice. Fortunately, Graham had been supportive of her, telling her that parents can be assholes around the holidays and to just point to the sign next to her camera tripod that reads, "No Refunds. No Exceptions."

"Next!" Ruby's voice shouts from her place next to David, the guy playing Santa as a way to make some extra money for his own child's Christmas gifts. As predicted, Ruby's sexy Mrs. Claus ensemble had proven to be quite the hit, particularly among young fathers, much to the chagrin of many of the mothers. Over lunch, Ruby had proudly told Emma that she had already received five complaints from women who had demanded they hire someone older to play Santa's wife. She had also been slipped a phone number from a couple looking for a third person for some "Holiday Fun."

As Emma prepares her camera for the next guest, she watches as a young boy with a slightly shaggy haircut takes his place on Santa's lap. She's relieved that he's older, which means he clearly won't be a crier, and she breathes a sigh of relief that maybe the last few hours of her shift won't be as brutal as the first…maybe the after-school hours will bring in the older kids. "That will be twenty dollars," she says as she sees the boy's mother approach her out of the corner of her eye.

"Here you go," the woman says, the sultry timbre of her voice causing Emma to turn and finally get a look at the woman.

She forces herself to keep her mouth closed when she takes in the stunning brunette. The woman's black wool peacoat is unbuttoned, revealing a burgundy silk blouse underneath, one that borders on being dangerously low-cut. She thinks she can see a hint of black lace peeking out from beneath the deep-vee, but she doesn't want to stare to confirm her suspicions.

"Thank you," she says, running the credit card through the card reader on her iPad. "Sign here, and then enter your email address and it will automatically send you a digital copy of the photo, in addition to the Polaroid you'll get when he's done." She hands the device to the brunette woman, hoping she doesn't blush when their hands briefly brush against one another in the exchange.

Emma watches as the woman uses her delicate finger to complete the transaction on the screen, her dark hair that's just shy of her shoulders falling in front of her eyes as she looks down at the device. It takes all of Emma's willpower not to reach out and brush the stray hair behind her ears. As she takes a breath to snap herself out of her infatuation, she can't help but notice that the woman smells like cinnamon, with a faint note of apples and vanilla. The woman literally smells like Christmas, and Emma can't help but think how she wishes she could unwrap her like a gift on Christmas morning.

"There you go," the woman says, jarring Emma from her less-than-appropriate thoughts.

"Oh, thank you," she replies, trying to hide her fluster. "What is your son's name?"

"Henry," the woman answers.

Emma smiles as she turns her attention back to the boy — Henry, as she now knows his name to be— who is wrapping up his conversation with Santa. "Alright, Henry, look this way and smile for me, please," she says, stepping behind the camera, counting to three, and taking a few pictures. "Alright, perfect!" she comments as she quickly looks through them, making sure they came out clear. She selects the best one and quickly prints a copy, handing it to the boy's mother. "Here you go. You should also already have an email with the copies as well. Merry Christmas."

"Thank you," the brunette woman says, wrapping her arm around her son's shoulder and taking the picture from the blonde elf.

Emma could swear that the woman quickly ran her eyes down her body, and when the brunette comments "nice shoes," before walking away, Emma knows it wasn't just wishful thinking that the brunette may have been checking her out.

"Ready?"

"What?" Emma breaks her gaze from the woman walking back into the crowds of the mall and over to Ruby, who is now standing beside her.

"We get a 10-minute break. Want to grab a quick bite? I've been craving a soft pretzel for the last hour."

"Oh, yeah. Let's go."

Ruby chuckles at her friend. "Are you pining after hot moms now?"

"I'm not pining," Emma rolls her eyes. "But she was hot."

"Too bad you'll never see her again."

 ***.*.***

"You're late," Cora says as she opens the front door and immediately turns to walk back through the house, leaving Regina to step across the threshold and close the door behind her.

"It's 7:02," she mumbles, removing her scarf and boots and setting them by the bench in the foyer before making her way into the dining room. Her father hands her a glass of scotch immediately as she steps into the room. "Thank you, Dad."

He winks as he mimes a _cheers!_ motion with his own rocks glass and then pulls out one of the chairs at the table for her, gesturing for her to take a seat. "Eugenia will be out with dinner shortly," he says, sitting down across from his daughter rather than at the head of the table.

Cora joins moments later, taking advantage of Henry's choice to leave the end seat vacant and takes it for herself. "Thank you, Eugenia," she says politely to the housekeeper, who also serves as their Friday night cook, when the elderly woman places the final dish on the table.

"Enjoy," the woman says before hurrying back to the kitchen to clean up.

"So, Regina," her father starts, "How is work?"

She cuts into the pork chop and savors the flavor, chewing and swallowing before speaking. "It's been a rough week…insanely busy, but we're much closer to closing the deal on the Jefferson Hat Company contract, so that's a bit of a relief."

"Oh, that's wonderful to hear!" Henry says sincerely.

Cora lets out an audible sigh, and Regina braces herself for whatever is about to come. "Regina, dear," the older woman starts, looking up at her long enough to narrow her eyes before she takes a sip of her pinot noir. "You spend too much time working. Robin does well for himself, so you don't need to work so hard. That's what alimony and child support is for, darling."

Regina rolls her eyes as she prepares to reiterate the exact argument that she's had countless times with her mother. "We've been over this, Mother…I don't want to live off of my ex-husband's income. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of Henry and myself."

"Regina, dear—"

"No," Regina shakes her head before her mother can make her rebuttal. "Besides, I love my job. Even though it's hard and time-consuming, I love what I do. I'm not going to quit."

"Whatever you say, dear," Cora brushes her off.

It's nearly an hour later when Regina deadpans, "Well, this has been fun," wrapping her scarf around her neck as she prepares to leave. She had just bid her father farewell as he excused himself to go to his study for an international conference call with a business associate, so she is left alone with her mother.

"Yes, well, don't forget my company holiday party next Friday, Regina," Cora says. "And since you'll be coming alone, yet gain, there's no excuse not to be on time. There's no one to slow you down but yourself."

"Yes, Mother."

"And do try to dress well. Daniel Colter will be in town visiting his parents, and he's the last acceptable single son of all our friends. He may be your last chance."

Regina can barely hold back the eye roll as she opens the door. "Goodbye, Mother."

* * *

 **Sunday, December 16, 1pm**

 _I'm in hell,_ Emma thinks as she prints out the next photo and hands it to the man standing next to her. He wears a wedding ring, but that hasn't stopped him from hitting on her incessantly while his young daughter talks with Santa.

"Uh huh," she mumbles when the guy boasts about something related to his success as a stockbroker. She couldn't be more relieved when the girl hops off Santa's lap and comes rushing back over to her father. Emma hastily hands over the photo and quickly turns away, calling "Next!" before the smarmy guy has a chance to even say goodbye. She catches Ruby's eye and the woman is grinning, clearly finding amusement in Emma's misery.

Emma does a double-take as she watches the boy from Friday night approach Santa's dais. She looks around for the boy's mother, but she's nowhere in sight. Instead, this time, Emma notices that the boy is not alone as he climbs the few steps to Santa's throne. A slim woman with caramel skin and long, dark hair follows him and stands off to the side, holding a small infant in her arms.

"Here you go," Emma hears an accented voice say, and she turns to the man who is now beside her and holding out a $20 bill. His hair is sandy brown, not unlike Henry's, and his blue eyes look at her expectantly.

"Thank you," she says, accepting the money and placing it securely in the cash box. She hands him the ipad to enter his email address as she makes sure the camera is ready. No more words are spoken as she watches the boy — Henry, she recalls — talk to Santa once again. She's disappointed that she doesn't get to see the stunning brunette again, but a part of her is also a little relieved that maybe the woman isn't married, given that Henry's father is clearly here with another woman and small child. _God, Emma, you're a horrible human being_ , she scolds herself.

She quickly takes the photo of Henry, Santa, and the young baby who the woman had placed in Henry's arms just for the photo. She's relieved that the baby boy doesn't start to cry until after the picture has been taken. "Merry Christmas," she says, handing the photo to Henry's dad.

"Thank you," he says, barely looking at her as he gathers his family and ushers them back into the mall.

 ***.*.***

"Yes, Zelena, I'll see you then," Regina says into her phone as she looks over the menu board at the Gloria Jean's Coffee kiosk. She doesn't know why she's pretending that she's not going to get her guilty pleasure: the white chocolate caramel cookie chiller. She allows herself the treat only twice per year, on her birthday and in the midst of Christmas shopping. "Bye, sis," she says before hanging up. She places her phone back into her purse as she steps into the line, nearly crashing into someone as she does so. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she quickly says, holding her hand out to brace their impact. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Oh, it's fine—" the blonde says. "Oh, it's you!"

Regina looks at the women, who appears vaguely familiar, but she struggles to place her. Regina's confusion must be evident on her face, as the woman laughs when she says, "Picture me with a green hat and wooden shoes."

"Ah, yes," Regina smiles and nods, recognition finally sinking in as she takes in the woman's skinny jeans and plain white t-shirt. She gestures for the woman to step in front of her in line. "It's nice to see that elf costume isn't your permanent attire."

"Well, this is only temporary. I'll be back in the elf garb in about 20 minutes. I'm just on break and needed a pick-me-up. We're not allowed to wear the costume outside of the center court, or else we may ruin the illusion for the kids."

"Makes sense," Regina comments.

"What brings you back to the mall? Still have Christmas shopping left?" Emma asks her.

Regina is slightly thrown off by the small talk conversation, but they still have a few people in front of them in line, and she supposes it would be awkward to stand there for 10 minutes and not speak. "Yeah. I wanted to pick up a few more things for Henry while he's off with his dad for the weekend."

"Oh," Emma comments. "Well in that case, I should probably tell you that Henry is here. He just came through the Santa line again with his dad."

"Really?" Regina asks. "You're sure it's him?"

"Pretty sure…" the blonde says. "I mean, I see a lot of kids come through the line, but I'm pretty good with names and faces, and it's only been a few days since you guys were here…he was also with a baby boy and a woman…"

"That would be Roland and Marian. Yeah, that was definitely him, then. Okay," Regina sighs. "I had told his dad that I was going to get some shopping done today, but maybe he forgot. I really don't want Henry to see me here buying gifts that are supposed to be from Santa. He deserves to be able to believe for a few more years, you know?"

Emma nods in agreement before asking, "How old is he?"

"He turned nine in October…I know his friends are questioning it and many gave up their belief already, but he's such a good kid with a good heart. He truly believes and I don't want to ruin that for him," Regina says. "So, I guess I should be thanking you for saving me from a potentially awkward conversation with my own son."

"No problem," the woman responds.

"Let me buy you your coffee as a thank you."

"Oh, that's really not necessary."

"Please…." Regina says, trailing off. She realizes she has no idea what the elf's name is.

"Emma."

"Emma," she says. "I'm Regina," she extends her hand, which the blonde — Emma — shyly takes. She forces herself not to smile at the touch of their hands. "What will it be?"

"Oh, um, the ultimate chocolate chiller."

"Solid choice," Regina says approvingly. She places the order and quickly fires off a text to her ex-husband, telling him she's shopping and to keep Henry away from the west end of the mall so that she can pick up the last few items on her list. He's apologetic when he texts her back, writing that he had completely forgotten that she planned to get her Santa gifts that day.

"Well, I should get back to work…I don't want a revolt of youngsters. Thanks for the coffee," Emma says as she picks up her drink at the counter.

"You're very welcome, Emma. Perhaps I'll see you around."

* * *

 **Thursday, December 20, 9pm.**

"Are you okay?" are the first words Regina hears when she walks into The Rabbit Hole on the Thursday before Christmas. Kathryn, her best friend of 14 years, asks her that question as she hands her a pint of Guinness and a shot of Baileys. It's been her comfort drink of choice since they became roommates their sophomore year of college. Kathryn had showed her that while an Irish Car Bomb was a good cocktail, the deconstructed version was even better.

"I'll be fine, Kathryn," Regina reassures her as she takes the shot and then takes a long sip of her beer as a chaser. "I just dropped him off, and it sucked, but I'm trying not to dwell on the fact that I won't get to see my kid for four days, and that it's the longest he's been away from me since the divorce."

"He'll be fine, Regina," Kathryn offers.

"Oh, I know he will be. He's excited because Marian's parents have a cabin in fucking Vermont and he'll get to learn how to cross-country ski. He's ecstatic," she pauses her lament to take another drink. "He's spent three day weekends at Robin's house before, so another day won't kill either of us, but this is the first time he's going out of state. It's weird shipping my kid off to people I don't even know."

"I hear you," Kathryn says, signaling the bartender for another round of drinks and placing an order for loaded fries.

"You know I'm not going to eat that," Regina says.

"Live a little…besides, you may need it to help absorb the amount of liquor you're going to be drinking, by the looks of it."

"I'm fine, but thanks for your concern," she replies.

 ***.*.***

"Emma, are you even listening to me?" Ruby asks as she throws an onion ring at her friend.

"What? Oh, yeah. Sorry," Emma apologizes.

"What has your attention?" Ruby asks, trying to follow Emma's line of sight.

"Nothing," the blonde answers quickly. "What were you saying?"

"Oh…." Ruby looks back at her and smiles. "Is that the hot mom from Santa's Village sitting at the bar?"

"Regina," Emma says.

"What? You know her name?"

Emma curses herself for letting that slip. "Yeah…" she finally admits. "I ran into her again last weekend while I was on break."

"What? Why didn't you tell me? What happened?"

"Nothing happened. And I didn't mention it because it's pointless. I just have a little Christmas crush. It's not a big deal."

"You should go talk to her," Ruby says as she takes her credit card and receipt out of the leather folder the waitress set on the table and puts it back into her wallet. "Go buy her a drink."

"Ruby, she's clearly here with someone," nodding in the direction of Regina and the other woman.

"Yeah, so? Maybe she's just a friend. And if not, then she clearly likes blondes, and you're much hotter than that girl."

"We can't even see the girl's face."

"Who cares? I can tell just from the back of her head. Plus, you're like a solid nine. The chances of that woman being a 10 are slim."

"Gee, thanks," Emma rolls her eyes. "But no, I'm not going to go interrupt her night out."

"Fine, I will then," Ruby says, getting up.

"Ruby, no!" Emma says, grabbing her friend's arm as she starts walking away from the table. "Please don't."

"Then go over there…you don't even need to talk to her directly. She's sitting at the bar so go stand next to her and order a drink. Be nonchalant, and then you can be all, 'Oh, hey, Regina right?' when she looks at you."

"Will it shut you up if I do this?"

"Yes."

"Okay, fine," Emma acquiesces, slipping her purse off the back of the chair and onto her shoulder, digging for her wallet so she can go buy a drink she doesn't even want. "I'll be right back."

"No you won't. Take your time. In fact, I'll call an Uber for myself since I think you'll be here awhile," Ruby grins.

Emma shakes her head as she turns to walk toward the bar, mumbling _I can't believe I'm doing this_ , as she makes her approach.

 ***.*.***

"What can I get you, love?" the bartender asks.

"A rum and coke, please," Regina hears a woman reply from over her shoulder. She recognizes that voice.

She unintentionally tunes Kathryn out as she reflexively looks over to her left and sees the blonde from the mall handing the bartender a credit card. "Emma?" she asks after taking a beat to make note of the blonde's attire — tight black denim and an emerald green silk cami. _She cleans up nice_ , Regina thinks.

"Oh, Regina," Emma replies, smiling and thanking the bartender as he hands her a glass and her card. "Hi."

"Imagine running into you here," Regina says. "Here by yourself?"

"Oh, no, my friend Ruby…" she says, gesturing toward a table in the back that is now empty. The blonde looks around in confusion as Regina follows her sightline until they both see a tall brunette waving from the door to the bar before leaving. "…just left, apparently."

Regina smirks. "Well, feel free to sit," she says, gesturing to the empty stool beside her.

"Thanks," Emma responds graciously.

Regina hears a throat clearing from her other side, jolting her back. "Oh, right. Sorry. Where are my manners," she quickly says. "Emma, this is my best friend Kathryn. Kathryn, this is Emma."

The two blondes smile and shake hands, reaching across the bar in front of Regina to do so.

"How do you know Regina?" Kathryn asks.

"Oh, I don't really. We met when she was taking Henry to see Santa. I'm one of the photographers there," she shrugs.

"And the pictures were great, by the way," Regina adds, delighting in the way Emma's cheeks turn a little pink at the compliment.

"Thank you," she says.

"Well, Regina, this has been great, but I have to work early. Not all of us get tomorrow off," Kathryn says, quickly finishing the last of her drink and throwing $50 on top of the bar to cover her tab. "I'll see you after Christmas. Good luck tomorrow night. And it was nice to meet you, Emma," she says.

"You, too," Emma replies as the other blonde rushes off, leaving Regina a little off-kilter at her friend's quick departure. "Are you heading out soon, too?" Emma asks her.

Regina glances at her watch, noting the time. "Not right away. Henry is gone for the weekend with my ex, and I don't work tomorrow, so I'm not on a curfew," she smiles.

"Well in that case, can I buy you a drink?"

"Sure," she smiles.

 ***.*.***

Emma cannot believe that this is the way her night is turning out. She originally wanted to murder Ruby for abandoning her, but now she feels the need to buy her a much nicer Christmas present than the rose gold martini shaker she has wrapped for the girl in her closet. She's not sure what's going to come of this impromptu evening with Regina, but she's enjoying it.

They're still sitting at the bar as Killian shouts out that it's last call, but they ignore him. They've already paid their tab, but are still slowly nursing what's left of their drinks. "So what is it that you do, exactly?" Emma asks Regina. They've talked about Henry, and their favorite Netflix series to binge watch, but otherwise Regina hasn't revealed much about herself. When Regina mentions that she and Henry are heading to New York after Christmas as part of a business trip, Emma can't help but ask.

"Oh," Regina says, setting down her glass. "I work for Mifflin's, the department store," she explains. "I'm a business and purchasing analyst and designer headhunter of sorts, so I work with designers and brands on contracts to have them sell in our stores."

"Oh, that sounds interesting," Emma comments sincerely.

"It is. I love it. I've always loved fashion and business, so it was a nice way to blend the two together. Plus, it's a job that can be done remotely for the most part, so I can live here and only need the occasional trip to our headquarters in New York."

"Have you always lived in Storybrooke?"

"Born and raised. I went away for college in New York, and lived there for a few years while getting my start in the industry, but after getting married and having Henry, I wanted to be closer to family. Plus, Robin had a job offer up here, so it just made sense to move back since I could work from anywhere. I decided to stay in town, even after he and I split up. It's been nice, but sometimes it's a little too close to my mother. They moved a few towns over a few years ago, but they're still quite close by."

"What's she like?"

"She's hard to describe…" Regina says. She attempts to explain her mother's overbearing need for power, yet also outdated views that if Regina is unmarried and has to work to support herself, she's somehow a failure. "She's essentially the figurehead for her company…a legacy born into the family business that doesn't require much actual work on her part. She's not happy that I didn't follow in her footsteps. But my older sister already was, and I had no interest."

"She sounds like a piece of work," Emma comments.

"Oh she is. You'd have to meet her to really get it," Regina says, a smile suddenly crossing her face. "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow night?"

That catches her off-guard. "Oh, um, nothing?"

"Good," Regina smiles. "You should come with me to my mother's holiday party tomorrow."

"Wait, what?" Emma asks. While she would love to go out with Regina again, this doesn't sound like the way to do it.

"She's trying to set me up with some dude I can't stand from high school, and she whines that I've never had a date to the party since my divorce. Be my fake date for the night." Before she can think better of it, she grabs a cardboard coaster from the bar and flips it over to the blank side, writing down an address and dropping it in Emma's purse. "It starts at 7:30. Don't be late. You need to make a good impression on my mother, and she despises tardiness. And wear a dress. It's black-tie optional."

With that, the brunette slides off her bar stool and walks away, leaving a dumbfounded Emma wondering what the hell just happened.

* * *

 **A/N:** Tomorrow we'll find out what happens at Cora's holiday party. (And don't worry, this is not a "Regina-thinks-she's-straight fic"...while I love those and write them often, that is one trope that I won't be including in here.)


	2. Part II

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the follows, favorites, and lovely comments! As promised, here's the conclusion, featuring the Cora Mills holiday party. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right? ;)

* * *

 **Friday, December 21, 7pm**

Regina tips the cab driver as he drops her off near the Spencer Plaza, the venue for her mother's holiday party. She's already dreading it as she walks the half block to the hotel's entrance, and she's so busy letting her pessimistic thoughts ruminate that she's completely startled to find someone waiting for her out front. "Emma…you're here."

"Yeah…I wasn't sure if you were serious about wanting me to be your fake date, but I didn't want to stand you up since I said I would come."

"Actually, you never actually said yes," Regina interrupts, an amused smile on her lips. "If memory serves me, which it might not because I had a lot to drink, I kind of didn't give you a chance to say no."

"True…but I figured since I didn't flat out say 'no', then it was kind of implied that I would be here, and I didn't even get your number, so it's not like I could text to check if you really wanted me to come…" Emma rambles.

Regina laughs. "No, it's fine. You're more than welcome to join me."

"Are you sure?" Emma asks, suddenly second-guessing herself.

Regina's eyes survey the blonde, her long legs being shown off by the tasteful, yet seductive, short black velvet dress she wears, and the black peep-toe high-heeled booties she has on are a nice change from the wooden clogs she was sporting when they first met. A red leather moto jacket completes her ensemble, though it is doing little to keep her warm in the cold Maine December air.

"Oh yes, I'm sure," Regina smiles. "Are you okay with the fake girlfriend charade? If not, we can just say you're a friend."

She takes a breath before responding, "I'm fine either way…but, you were married to a guy…" she points out needlessly. "Do you even like women? Is this story even going to be believable?"

Regina smirks. "It will be believable. Don't worry about that. But what about you? Do you date women?"

"Exclusively."

"Well good, then. I see no problem. Come along."

Regina leads her through the revolving door of the Spencer Plaza, through the grand lobby, stopping only briefly at the front desk to pick up a small keycard. When they step into the elevator, Regina presses the keycard against the small panel on the door before hitting the button for the top floor. At Emma's questioning glance, she explains, "The party is on the top floor in the two penthouse suites. The floor is private access only, hence the need for this," she says, holding up the small card. "They can reprogram the access panels at will, so even if someone walks off without returning their keycard tonight, after midnight it won't allow them to step foot on the floor.

"Oh, clever," Emma remarks as the elevator continues to travel the 14 floors toward the penthouse. It's not a tall building by big city standards, but in their small Maine town, it's massive. "Is there anything I need to know about you to sell our story to your family?" she asks. "Are you allergic to anything that they might serve here, or a vegan or anything? I don't want to accidentally get you a peanut butter cookie if you'll keel over and die, or a cracker if you're strictly Paleo. That would give it away."

Regina shakes her head. "No, nothing like that. My mother and sister are the only ones who will give a damn and potentially question the legitimacy of this, but they'll both be so preoccupied tonight that aside from being shocked that I'm not showing up alone, they probably won't have much time to interrogate us. My main goal is just to ward off my mother's attempts at setting me up with the single sons of her random friends," she says. "So, just relax and have a good time. They go all out with the food and drinks, so take advantage of it."

"Should we, um, be affectionate?" Emma asks, and Regina can hear the embarrassment in her voice.

She can't help but laugh. "I've never been one for overt PDA, so anything too over the top would be a dead giveaway… but I'm not going to slap your hand away if you put your arm around me," Regina says, suddenly realizing just how awkward and stupid this plan is. But, it's too late to back out now. And, it's not like she doesn't find Emma attractive, and she knows Emma feels the same way. She wasn't blind to the way the blonde looked at her that first day in Santa's Village, or the night before at the bar. They may as well enjoy this.

The elevator dings, signaling their arrival on the fourteenth floor. The pair step out into the hall, where music can be heard spilling out from both penthouse suites. They stop by the coat check set up in the elevator lobby and hand their outwear to the attendant. "Is there a difference between the two suites?" Emma asks.

"Not really. They're mirror images of each other, and they'll have a few bars set up in each and the waiters will be making the rounds as people move from room to room. I'm not quite ready to deal with my family yet, so hopefully we can avoid them until we get a few drinks in us," Regina says, taking Emma's hand for the first time and guiding her into the penthouse to their left.

 ***.*.***

 _Damn, this is nice_ , Emma thinks as she follows Regina toward the bar conveniently set up in the kitchen of the suite. They stand in the short line at the peninsula, while a bartender dispenses the signature drinks of the evening.

"It looks like the specials are eggnog, a peppermintini, cranberry mojito, or Moscow mule…" Regina says to her as they approach the bar and she reads the menu on display. "Or, the usual basics."

"The cranberry mojito sounds great," she replies as she watches someone walk by with the delicious-looking drink.

"Good choice," Regina smiles as she relays the request to the bartender, getting a mule for herself. "Cheers!" the brunette says as she hands Emma her drink a moment later.

She smiles as she takes a sip, happy with her selection. "So, who are all these people?" Emma asks as they move out of the way and to a high-top table set up in the dining area.

"These are all Spencer Hotel Corporation employees…well, management-level employees," Regina clarifies. "There's no way everyone who works for them would fit up here. My mother and her brother Albert own the company. This is their flagship hotel and the one closest to where they both live, so they hold their annual holiday party here. They aren't the Hiltons by any means, but they have a few locations throughout New England."

"I've heard of them…I even stayed at the one in Boston," Emma says.

"Is that so?"

She nods. "Yeah. It was really nice. I needed to get away from my roommates a few years ago for about a week to study, so I camped out there for some much-needed quiet."

"Hmm," Regina looks at her questioningly, and Emma assumes that the older woman is wondering how she would have been able to afford that given that she has a job at the mall as one of Santa's helpers. The Spencer Hotel locations aren't exactly inexpensive. Emma realizes then just how little they know about each other. But, if Regina has questions, the woman doesn't say anything more.

 ***.*.***

"Regina, darling," her mother says as she approaches. It's an hour into the party and Regina can't help but be surprised that they managed to avoid her mother as long as they have.

"Mother," she forces a grin as Cora places an overdramatic air kiss on her cheek. She frowns when she sees that Cora is alone. "Where's Dad?"

"Oh, he and Robert are outside somewhere smoking some Cubans cigars that someone smuggled into the party. I'm sure he'll be back in soon. He was sick of making the rounds with me."

Regina can't blame him. Her mother parades him around at these events each year, so he doesn't really get a chance to sit back and enjoy it.

"Have you seen Daniel yet?" Cora asks her, a conspiratorial glint in her eye.

"No, Mother, and I'm not interested in your attempts at match-making."

"Oh, just give him a chance, Regina. You haven't seen in him in over 10 years. He's much more mature now."

"I'm not interested, Mother," she says again, a bit more bite to her tone. "And actually, Mother—" she is interrupted by a soft brush against her shoulder. She smiles when she sees Emma is back at her side.

"Scotch on the rocks," the blonde says as she hands her the drink she went to fetch.

"Thank you, dear," Regina smiles as she accepts the beverage with her right hand and wraps her left around Emma's waist, drawing her closer.

" 'Dear?' " Cora asks, eyeing the interloper. "Regina, darling, who, may I ask, is this?"

"Well, as I was saying, Mother, I'm not interested in Daniel, because I brought a date of my own. This is Emma," she explains. "Emma, this is my mother, Cora Spencer-Mills."

Cora eyes the woman critically, and Regina can feel Emma stiffen a bit under her fingers. She lightly brushes her thumb along Emma's side, hoping to bring her some comfort and to get her to relax. Regina knows her mother feeds on other people's unease, and as much as she wants to irritate her mother, she doesn't want Emma to be too uncomfortable.

"It's nice to meet you," Emma offers.

"Yes…" Cora says, appraising the woman. "Would you mind terribly if I borrowed my daughter for a moment?"

"Oh," Emma says, caught off-guard. "Sure… Regina, I'll grab us another plate of appetizers."

"I'll be right back," Regina assures her, releasing her waist from her grip and following her mother. Cora has already walked away, but has continued to keep an eye on the couple.

"Regina," Cora begins after they've moved out of ear shot. "What are you playing at? Did you seriously hire an escort for tonight? Are you trying to embarrass me?"

"What? No, Mother," Regina says, genuinely appalled at the accusation. "Emma is not an escort. She's my date."

"Oh, please," Cora says. "Your RSVP didn't include a plus one, and that girl has 'cheap' written all over her."

"You're despicable, Mother," Regina says, preparing to walk away.

"And you aren't dating anyone," Cora adds, ignoring her daughter's remark.

"That you know of," Regina rebuts. "We haven't been together long," Regina says, silently thinking _well, that is actually the truth._ "I don't tell you everything about my life, Mother."

Cora ponders that for a moment, but clearly isn't buying it. "You can't just bring people unannounced to formal events, Regina. It's rude. I raised you better than that."

"Oh, please. You were just complaining last week that I would be coming to this alone. You can't have it both ways."

"Apparently you can," Cora snickers.

"Wow, really? Jabs at my bisexuality? Jesus, Mother."

"Apologies," Cora says, though it's insincere.

Regina ignores her. "This is new, very new, so it was a last minute invite. You have so much food and liquor here, so it's not like the added presence of one person will be a burden to your party plan, Mother."

"Well, that remains to be seen. Excuse me," she dismisses, walking off to greet the manager of another of their hotels who she's spotted across the room.

 _Fuck my life,_ Regina thinks as she goes off in search of her date.

 ***.*.***

Emma tries to keep an eye on Regina after Cora pulled her away, but she feels bad for trying to eavesdrop. She knows that they're talking about her, but it's not like she and Regina are in a real relationship, so whatever Cora is saying about her, it shouldn't matter. This is a one-night thing, and she just wants to enjoy it.

As promised, she loads up a small plate with cheeses, crackers, and a few holiday dessert bites and then moves to the living room area to take a seat. It's there that Regina finds her a few minutes later, sitting on one of the sofas and chatting with the son and daughter-in-law of the company's CFO.

"Hey," Regina says as she joins her, and Emma quickly shifts over to make room for her.

Emma smiles as she feels the heat of Regina's bare thigh pressed against her own. "Hi," She says back, quietly. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine," the brunette answers, absentmindedly placing a hand on Emma's knee and squeezing gently before releasing it. She then reaches for a piece of cheese from the plate resting on her lap and pops it into her mouth.

Emma hopes she didn't show how much that affected her. The longer the night goes on, and the more Christmas-themed cocktails she has, the more overt her attraction is becoming to the gorgeous brunette. "Good," is all she manages to say, but it seems to be enough. Regina smiles genuinely at her as she takes Emma's martini and takes a sip. "Hey, get your own," she says playfully.

"I will. I just wanted to make sure it was good," Regina teases before standing up. "Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks. I'm good for now."

 ***.*.***

Things continue to get slightly better from there. Cora has continued to flit around the two suites, mingling and playing good hostess to the company executives, which means she hasn't been back to criticize the fake couple. Regina is also thankful that her father has managed to get out of the serial socializing duty. Instead, he has coopted one of the leather club chairs in the corner of the suite, and Regina and Emma are sitting across from him engrossed in conversation.

Regina is relieved that her father seems to like Emma, their shared interest in the Boston Red Sox serving as a natural topic of conversation between the pair. Regina couldn't care less about baseball, but she's happy that the topic diverts discussion away from things like how she and Emma met, their relationship, or any topics that might reveal that Emma's presence at the party is entirely due to one too many drinks that night before.

She smiles as she watches her father's face light up as he recounts his experience being at the final game of the World Series the last four times they've won. "I don't want to say that I'm their lucky charm," he says, "but, I have been there each time…"

"Oh my God. I'm so jealous," Emma says, genuinely envious. "I can't believe you saw them win in-person. That must have been amazing."

 _This isn't real,_ Regina reminds herself, _it doesn't matter if Dad likes her._

"Well, who is this?" Regina hears a voice behind her, and she's surprised she hasn't seen the woman sooner.

"Zelena," Regina smiles as she turns around and stands, moving to embrace the redheaded woman. "I've missed you," she says sincerely. She and her sister don't have the most harmonious relationship all the time, but she does wish that she would be able to see her more often.

"You too, sis. Now, answer my question. Who is this?"

"Right," Regina says, noticing that both Emma and her father have stopped talking and are looking at her. "Zelena, this is Emma, my date. Emma, this is my sister Zelena, and her husband Chad. Zelena is the regional director for Spencer Hotels in Massachusetts, and Chad is the VP of marketing."

"It's nice to meet you, Zelena," Emma says, standing up and shaking the woman's hand. "And you, Chad."

Zelena smiles as she appraises Emma. "Wait a second… you look familiar…weren't you the photographer at the mall this morning?"

"Oh, um, yeah…"

"Photographer?" Cora asks, catching the conversation as she joins her family, escaping her role as hostess for the time being. "Zelena, why would you go to a mall to get photos taken…wait, no, the Santa photos with Margot?" she asks before turning to Regina. "Regina, you're dating a mall elf? Good grief."

"Cora…" Henry warns as he, too, finally stands in an attempt to run interference for what he knows won't end well.

"No, Henry," Cora says, holding up a hand and returning her focus to her youngest daughter, lowering her voice so that the guests won't be able to overhear her family's humiliation. "Seriously, Regina, a mall elf? Good God, hiring an escort would have been less embarrassing. You're trolling the mall now looking for dates? How old is she? 20? Because what kind of self-respecting adult…"

Regina sighs and interrupts. "Mother, what Emma does for a living has no bearing on —"

"Well, Emma Swan, as I live and breathe," an accented voice calls out, approaching the group.

"Judge Gold?" Emma's eyes widen in shock at the man.

Cora turns to look at Emma. "You know him? Oh Jesus, Regina, please tell me you did not bring some common criminal to my holiday party."

"Criminal? No, far from it," Gold clarifies. "Miss Swan, what on God's green Earth are you doing here?" He opens his arms and pulls her in for a hug, which she gladly reciprocates, leaving the entire Mills family dumbfounded.

"Regina invited me."

"Oh!" he says, recognition on his face. "Are you two…"

Emma blushes as Regina answers for her. "It's new."

"I see. Well, Regina, you couldn't find anyone better than Miss Swan, here," Robert Gold says.

"Thank you. See, Mother? Emma has Gold's stamp of approval, so can we move on now, please?" Regina asks.

Cora ignores her daughter's request. "Wait, so how do you and and this womaan know each other, exactly?" Cora asks the man, a family friend and shareholder in the company.

"She was my law clerk a handful of years ago," he offers casually.

"Well, we go back farther than that," Emma laughs. "Robert was the attorney who handled my adoption when I was thirteen."

"And then I hired her as soon as she graduated law school to be my clerk, back when I was still in Boston and before I moved to the US District Court up here."

"Wait, you're a lawyer?" Regina asks Emma, the surprise evident in her voice.

"You didn't know that? How long have you been dating her, five minutes?" Zelena asks, vocalizing what everyone's thinking.

Regina ignores her as she watches Emma nod her head. The blonde is apparently full of surprises. "If you're a lawyer, then why…"

"Am I working as mall elf?" Emma offers.

"Well, yeah…" Regina admits sheepishly.

"I'm a public guardian and child advocacy attorney for kids who are wards of the state, so it's not exactly a lucrative branch of law," Emma starts to explain.

"But certainly a noble one," Gold adds. "It's how I got my start, after all."

Emma smiles. "Indeed. I love what I do, but I wanted to make some extra money for some things coming up over the next year. My entire paycheck pretty much goes to my rent, groceries, and student loan payments. Photography has always been a passion of mine, and when my friend mentioned that their photographer at the mall quit, I figured I could help her out and make some extra cash," she shrugs. "And honestly, if I broke my attorney salary down to an hourly wage based on how many hours I spend working, the photography gig probably pays more. Plus, I like working with kids. It's refreshing to be able to work with them in a more cheerful environment than my day job."

"Wow," Regina comments, her admiration clearly written across her face. "Good for you."

"And, I get to meet hot moms," Emma adds, sending a wink to Regina.

"Okay, time out," Zelena interrupts yet again. "No one has answered my question. Regina, how did you not know all this? Who doesn't know what their girlfriend does for a living?"

"As I said, this is new" Regina replies, slightly embarrassed that their lie seems to be unraveling quickly. "I never said she was my girlfriend. I just said she was my date."

"And how new is 'new'?" Cora asks.

"Umm…last night?" Regina offers honestly.

"Emma, dearie," Robert Gold cuts in. "Why don't you join me for a drink so we can catch up, and we can let this episode of Family Feud play itself out without us bearing witness."

"Yes, please," Emma says, offering a sympathetic squeeze of Regina's elbow before she follows her former mentor away from the Mills clan. Regina sends her a glare as she walks away, and Emma just shrugs and smiles in response.

"I'm going to go get more drinks myself," Chad says, excusing himself.

"I cannot believe you would bring a total stranger into our party," Cora scolds. "You knew nothing about her, except that she had some crappy mall job, and you bring her here?"

"She's a lawyer, dear," Henry tries to placate.

"Yes, but clearly Regina didn't know that. You knew her what, 24 hours before deciding to have her tag along uninvited?"

"Okay, so I may not know everything about her, but I've known her longer than that."

"How long?" Zelena asks.

"I met her a week ago," Regina says, but quickly realizing that it doesn't help her case.

"She could have been a serial killer, Regina," Cora scolds, "and you brought her here."

"Jesus, Mother. Cut the dramatics. I may not know a ton of details about her yet, but it's not like she poses a danger to anyone. I met her when I took Henry to see Santa. Given the role she has there, I knew she would have at least passed a thorough background check just to even step foot in Santa's Village. I'm not a complete idiot."

"She has a point, Mother," Zelena says.

"That doesn't matter," Cora argues. "It was still a display of gross misjudgment and bad decision-making on your part."

"Please, Regina's slept with people she's known for less time," Zelena adds, earning a glare from Regina and both of their parents.

"Okay, you know what?" Regina says, wanting to move on. "It's irrelevant. Yes, I asked her to come because I didn't want to come alone and I wanted to avoid your incessant need to fix me up with anyone over the age of 30 with a six-figure salary. Is that what you want me to admit? Then fine. But, Emma is nice and we were having a pleasant evening, and we had a nice time last night when we bumped into each other when we were both out with friends."

"I bet you did," Zelena smirks, but Regina sends her a leveling stare. "Oh, wait, you like her," Zelena comments.

"What?" Regina scoffs.

"You actually like this girl."

"Of course I do. Did you not just hear what I said? She seems nice. Of course I like her."

"Well, duh, but no, I mean you _like_ her like her," Zelena teases.

"What are you, eight?" Regina rolls her eyes.

"Sorry. I've been hanging around Margot too long over Christmas break. Apparently her third grade vernacular is rubbing off on me."

"Yeah, that's it," Regina deadpans. "But, yes, I am interested in getting to know her…that is if Mother's prejudicial tirade didn't scare her off."

"I think you should, honey," Henry jumps in. "She seems to _like_ you like you, too," he says, mocking his eldest daughter as he cuts his eyes over to Zelena.

"I don't know about that…especially after all this chaos," Regina says, picking up her wine glass she had abandoned on the table and tossing back the rest of it.

"Oh, I'm fairly confident in my assessment," he says.

"What makes you so sure?"

"She hasn't stopped watching you since she walked off with Robert," he says, subtly nodding his head in the opposite direction.

Regina quickly turns to look, and she catches Emma's eyes as the blonde blushes and quickly returns to her conversation with Judge Gold.

"You should go over there," her dad whispers. "Salvage what you can of this evening."

 ***.*.***

"Emma," she hears her name moments after Regina had caught her staring. "I'm so sorry about all of that."

"It's fine, Regina," she laughs. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just family drama," she sighs, gratefully accepting the half glass of wine that Emma nudges in her direction.

"Well, I will leave you to it," Robert says as he stands up from the bar stool. "Regina, it's always a pleasure. Emma, don't be a stranger. Now that I know you're in the state, I expect to see you from time to time."

"Yes, Sir," she smiles as he walks away, and Regina slides into the seat he vacated. "So…"

"So…" Regina repeats.

"The secret's out?"

"Yeah. I told them everything," Regina confirms.

"Oh. Sorry about that."

"It's not your fault," Regina says. "It was kind of a stupid plan in the first place."

Emma nods in agreement, though she feels slightly dejected at the comment. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"But," Regina quickly adds. "I don't regret it. It may have been embarrassing to be called out like that, but I did piss of my mother, which is always a bonus," she smiles. "And I had fun. This night would have been boring as hell if I had been here alone."

"Well, it would have been less dramatic, that's for sure."

"True," she chuckles. "But even without the chaos, I had a good time. Thank you for agreeing to come."

"I'm glad I did," Emma smiles.

"So…can I get you another drink?"

"Sure," she answers. "Actually, I'll come with you. I don't know what I want yet."

"Fair enough," Regina says as she rises. She hesitates for a second before cautiously extending her hand. Emma smiles and takes it as they walk toward the bar.

"I might just do a decaf coffee, actually," Emma comments as they look over the drink options. "I don't want to be too hungover in the morning. I have to read through a case file on a new kid coming into the system, and then have another long day of Santa photos."

"Is that a hard job?" Regina asks. "The child advocacy work, I mean. I can't imagine what it must be like, emotionally."

Emma nods as they take another step toward the bar. The line is moving slowly, but they're making steady progress. "It definitely can be exhausting in that regard. A lot of these kids have been through hell, a lot of them have started getting into trouble because of the lack of stability in their lives…it's not easy to see them struggle. But, it's rewarding," she says reverently. "These kids don't have anyone, so to be able to help them in some way, even if it's relatively minor…it's incredible and totally worth the challenges."

Emma looks up at Regina and thinks that she might see tears in her eyes. "You're amazing," Regina says in wonderment, letting out a little chuckle to stop herself from crying.

She smiles as she looks back at Regina, but the moment is quickly interrupted by the bartender asking them to keep the line moving. They both order the decaf coffee and then quickly move to the side of the room, finding an empty table and continuing to talk.

 ***.*.***

"I should probably head out," Emma reluctantly comments a little after 11p.m.

"Right," Regina agrees, knowing that Emma has to work both of her jobs the next day. "I might sneak out as well. Give me a second to say goodbye to my dad, and then I'll walk you down…"

"Oh, okay. You don't have to stay through the end?"

"God, no. One of the perks about not going into the family business is that I only have to make an appearance at these things, but they can't stop me from leaving early," Regina says. "Which direction are you headed? Do you want to share a cab?"

"I live just up the street, actually. I'm like a block away."

"Oh, okay. Well, I'll be right back."

"Take your time. I'll get our coats."

Regina doesn't see her father as she walks around the perimeter of the suite, so she heads across the hall to the other penthouse. "Hey, Zelena," she calls, spotting her sister near the dessert table. "Have you seen Dad?"

"Oh, he went downstairs. Mother assigned him to farewell duty," Zelena answers.

"Of course she did. Well, in that case, I will say my goodbyes to him down there."

"You taking off already?"

"Yeah. It's been a long night."

"And it's about to get longer, I hope?" Zelena suggests with a raise of her eyebrows. "Taking that fake date of yours home with you?"

"No, Zelena," Regina responds. "Anyway, I will see you on Christmas Eve."

"Yes you will. And I want details. Something tells me tonight won't be the last time you'll be seeing that Emma girl."

"Goodbye, Zelena," she says as she exits the room.

"Did you find him?" Emma asks as she hands Regina her coat, pressing the elevator call button.

"No. I ran into Zelena and she said he's downstairs. My mother has him stationed by the door to see people off for the evening."

They step into the elevator, and Regina is relieved that a few other people hop on as well. Suddenly, with the evening drawing to a close, some of the initial awkwardness of their situation has returned. They ride in silence until the elevator dings and opens its doors on the ground floor, and Regina gestures for Emma to step out into the lobby, her hand softly grazing her back as they depart.

As they walk toward the revolving door that they walked through several hours earlier, Regina spots her dad standing over to the side, shaking hands with a few party guests Regina doesn't recognize. When the group walks away, Henry beckons the pair over. "You're leaving?" he asks as she leans in to give him a hug.

"Yeah. It's getting late," she replies.

"Well, have a safe drive home. You're taking a cab, I hope?"

"Of course," she confirms. "It was lovely to see you, Dad. Thanks for trying to mediate tonight."

"My pleasure, honey," he says as he looks over to Emma, who is lingering awkwardly a few feet away. "Emma, it was lovely to meet you," he says.

"You too, Mr. Mills."

"Please, call me Henry," he tells the blonde.

"Well, thank you, Henry, for letting me crash the party," she laughs.

"You didn't crash anything. In fact, I hope to see you again soon," he says, looking between the two women.

"Dad," Regina whines from her spot next to him.

He chuckles as he bids them farewell, and Regina walks with Emma outside, stopping under the hotel's awning that is adorned with twinkling white lights for the season.

"Well, thanks again for coming tonight," Regina says as Emma turns around to face her.

"Oh, Regina!" she hears her father call after her, rushing through the revolving door with a grin.

"What?" she asks as she turns around, slightly irritated. She loves her dad dearly, but his timing is terrible. Her father says nothing, but he points at the awning above them.

"Mistletoe, of course," she mumbles to herself as she recognizes the plant hanging above their heads. She looks over her shoulder at her father, who laughs and gives a thumbs up as he walks back into the hotel, leaving Regina once again alone on the sidewalk with Emma.

She looks back at Emma who is biting her lip to keep herself from laughing. "I…" Regina starts, but Emma shakes her head.

"I had fun tonight, so you're more than welcome," Emma says, picking up from where Regina left off before the interruption. "Thanks for inviting me."

Regina subconsciously takes a step closer to the blonde, her eyes glancing back up to the greenery hanging above. When she refocuses her gaze, she notices that Emma is once again biting her lip, but this time the blonde isn't laughing. She takes a breath and a chance and steps forward, closing the gap between them, and she notes a slight hint of peppermint and coffee still lingering on Emma's soft lips. She feels Emma's arm encircle her waist, and she relishes the feeling for a brief moment before she pulls back, remembering that they're in front of her mother's hotel under bright lights with guests from the party scurrying around them in a hurry to get home.

"So…" Emma says, somewhat breathless when they separate.

"What are you doing tomorrow night after your shift?" Regina asks. "Can I take you to dinner?"

Emma smiles. "I'd love that, but I won't be done until after 9…is that too late?"

"Well, since most places in Storybrooke will be closed by then, how about I make you dinner? How do you feel about lasagna?" Regina offers.

"I love it."

"Good. Then I will see you tomorrow night," Regina says, reaching into her purse for a pen and piece of paper. "Here's my address and my number."

"Great. I will see you tomorrow, then," Emma smiles as she leans in to kiss Regina's cheek. "Goodnight, Regina."

"Goodnight, Emma," she says, watching as the blonde sets off down the sidewalk toward her apartment. She turns and walks back inside the hotel, noticing her father jump back from where he was clearly watching them through the window, feigning nonchalance as she walks by.

"So…" he says, catching up with her as she powerwalks toward the front desk to ask the receptionist to call a taxi for her. "How's Emma?"

She tries to appear stern, but can't help but let a smile break through when she admits, "I will let you know tomorrow after my date."

"That's my girl," Henry laughs as she rolls her eyes.

"You know, I could have sworn that mistletoe wasn't there when I came in tonight."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, sweetie. Have a good night, Regina," he says as he returns to his station to wish their guests a good evening.

She shakes her head as she goes back outside, stepping into the awaiting taxi with a smile on her face.

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope you enjoyed this super fluffy holiday mini-fic, and Merry Christmas!

(And, because I can never truly be finished with things, I accidentally wrote a super fluffy SQ family epilogue, which I will post either tomorrow or the day after Christmas).


	3. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE – 10 years later**

 **Thursday, December 14, 6pm**

"I can't wait to see Santa!" six-year old Faith says as she jumps up and down in line.

"I know, honey, we're almost to the front, but we have to wait our turn," Emma says as she holds onto the girl's hand. The girl's light brown curls bounce with every jump, and Emma runs her fingers through them to try to prevent them from tangling. She doesn't want a meltdown when it's time to brush her hair before bed. It's bad enough trying to get a young child to sleep this close to Christmas, and Emma has quickly learned that the more bedtime arguments she can avoid, the better.

"Here you go, dear," Regina says as she hands Emma her traditional Christmas treat as she steps back in line. "The ultimate chocolate chiller."

"Thank you," she replies gratefully as she takes a sip. "I'm surprised Starbucks hasn't driven them out of business yet."

Regina shakes her head. "I think Gloria Jeans has the mall market cornered."

"Mom!" Emma hears the call behind her, causing her to turn around just as Regina steps out of line to run and hug her son.

"Oh my God, Henry!" Regina says after releasing him from her embrace. "What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be back from NYU until tomorrow night."

"I came back early," he shrugs. "I was done with finals, so I figured I couldn't pass up the chance to spend a few extra days at home. Emma told me you guys would be here."

Regina turns and smiles at Emma. "You knew he was coming?"

"I did. He wanted to surprised you."

Regina grabs Henry's hand and pulls him into the line, quickly pecking Emma's lips and muttering a _thank you_ as she does. "Okay, Faith, we're almost there. Do you remember what you want to ask Santa for?"

The little girl nods excitedly. "He brought me what I wanted last year. I hope he does this year, too!"

Emma and Regina share a knowing look, and Emma winks at Regina as she sees her wife struggling to hold back her tears.

The year before, Regina had gone with Emma to the annual holiday party for children in the system. Emma had been on the organizing committee, as it was her duty as the newly-appointed head of the child advocacy and family services department. While her role has primarily been administrative in recent years, she still takes on a few clients each year to stay actively involved in the work. Faith had been one of those children, a young girl who had entered the system when her parents were tragically killed in a bank robbery early that summer. She had no living relatives to take her in, so Emma had overseen the legal aspects her case. She had immediately taken to the girl and for four months watched as she moved from foster home to foster home, through no fault of the girl's own. She saw the toll it had been taking on the girl who had gone through so much in such a short amount of time, so when she had brought Regina on as a volunteer at the holiday party, she had had a hidden agenda.

Emma had told Regina about Faith's struggles, but she had wanted Regina to meet the girl who, despite all the things she had been through, still managed to radiate a positive energy. She had watched anxiously as she introduced the two. Regina handed the little girl a Christmas cookie from the dessert table where she had been stationed, and the girl beamed back at her in gratitude. "So…" Emma had said after Regina commented that she understood why Emma was smitten with the little girl. "I know we've talked about having kids and the timing hasn't been right thus far, but what do you think about becoming a foster parent in the meantime?" Emma had known that it may not be the appropriate venue for such a serious conversation, but she couldn't wait any longer to mention her idea. Regina had looked at her in shock and said that it was a big decision, admitting that she had never thought about it, before quickly finding another task to do to avoid further conversation. However, when that new task involved helping kids getting their picture taken with Santa, and she had overheard Faith's Christmas wish of having a family for Christmas so she wouldn't have to spend it in the group home, Regina's heart had broken for the little girl. After completing a mountain of paperwork, they had been granted a temporary foster license the day before Christmas Eve, which had allowed them to bring the girl into their home for Christmas, and officially become Faith's foster mothers shortly after the new year.

Emma feels an enthusiastic tug on her arm, jarring her back to the present. "Only one more to go!" Faith says excitedly, as the little boy in front of her runs up to meet with Santa.

"Yep, sweetie, you're next," Regina laughs. Emma sees the glint in Regina's eye and has no doubt that she had just been replaying a similar memory in her mind.

"Who's that girl with Margot?" Henry asks, nodding toward the center of Santa's Village in the mall's center court.

The two women look over at their niece, who picked up a seasonal part-time job as an elf assisting the photographer. The girl adjusts her large glasses as she toys with the end of her hair, a smile on her face as she talks with another young blonde.

"I have no idea…but, they're flirting, right?" Emma asks, looking to Regina for confirmation.

"That's definitely what it looks like from where I'm standing," she smirks.

They watch as the girl in question takes the hand of the little boy who runs back after hopping off Santa's lap, and that's when Margot calls them forward to take their turn.

"Okay, Faith, go on up there and let Santa know what you want him to bring you this year," Regina encourages.

"Will you go with me?" Faith asks, suddenly unsure of the strange man.

"Of course, sweetie," she replies. "And Emma will join us as soon as she pays."

"And Henry?" Faith requests.

"And Henry," Regina says, looking pointedly at her son.

"Absolutely," he smiles and follows his mom and foster sister up to where Santa is seated, leaving Emma to fill out the form and pay the photographer's fee.

"So, Margot," she teases as she enters her information. "Who was that girl?"

"What girl?" the teen blushes.

"The girl who was just up here and we could tell from 20 feet away that you were into," she grins as she hands Margot a twenty dollar bill and the iPad with the requested information.

"Oh. Her name is Tilly."

"Uh huh…." Emma prods.

"And don't you have a family who is waiting for you up there?" Margot deflects. "You're holding up the line."

"Fine. But you know your aunt and I want details."

The seventeen year old rolls her eyes, muttering a "fine" as she pushes Emma toward the others, before retaking her spot with the photographer.

"So?" Regina smirks as they stand a few feet away, letting Faith have her moment with Santa.

"Margot definitely has a crush. She promised to fill us in later."

"I'm going to hold her to that," she laughs. "Besides, she may need some dating advice from her favorite aunts. God knows my sister will be useless when it comes to how to woo a woman."

"I don't know…Margot seems to be doing okay on her own. Tilly definitely seemed into her."

"Is there anything else you want for Christmas, young lady?" the elderly gentleman asks, his voice reminding Regina and Emma why they're there. There's plenty of time to gossip about their niece later.

"To stay where I am so we can be a real family forever," they hear the little girl respond, and it simultaneously breaks and warms their hearts.

"When should we tell her?" Regina whispers in Emma's ear. "Should we wait until Christmas morning?"

Emma smiles, quickly wiping a tear from her eye as she thinks of the adoption papers that are sitting in Regina's desk drawer in their study at home. "How about Christmas Eve, before we set out the cookies for Santa?"

"That's perfect."

 **THE END**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you all so much for reading and for the lovely response to this fluffly Christmas ditty. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas (for those who celebrate) and I wish you all a Happy 2019!


End file.
